Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-09-17

founder of Thomsonian practice, was
tried for his life in 1909 on account of the
death of patient to whom he had admin
istered dose of lobelia root.
All here is curious plant; a generous
weed without any mischievous qualities.
Notice the stalk grows through the leaves,
and there are only two plants known to
botanists that have this popularity.
Boneset, or Jacobs Ladder, is truly
valuable plant. 1t is fine sudorifc and
has pleasant, stimulating, bitter taste
Bunches of boneset are nearly always
visible in country storeroom.
Not far from the boneset you will no.
tice plant having two wide leaves ex-
tending outward like sombrero. Perched
between these two leaves is an oblong
yellowish fruit; this is the May apple or
wild mandrake or podophyllum, which
ever you like best. Its roots dried are
held to be an excellent purgative, and a
few years ago podophyllum became quite
a popular medicine. The fruit is eaten
by country boys, who eat everything
they can. 1t is sweet but fiavorless, and
if this is the mandrake for which Rachael,
the wife of Jacob, felt such a longing,
fruit must have been scarce in the land
of the patriarchs. On the knoll see a
valuable plant, the well-known snake
root. An excellent febrifuge, so the ne
groes say, is made from its roots, which
vary in size from a quill to
mans little finger. The stalk is red
near the base, but becomes green
ish as it extends upward, and bears
a whitish green flower. That's familiar
Xunnh in hn
a time have | stained my fingers with
the juice of its berries Pokeberry, for
thus it is styled, is both edible and medic
inal. Its tender shoots, cut just as they
emerge from the ground, taste something
like asparagus, while the roots are re-
garded as a valuable dressing for sores.
An ointment is also made of the berries
One would think an excellent dye could
be made from the purple juice of the ber-
ries, but no mordant has been discovered
that will fix the color and prevent it de-
generating into a dirty brown. All you
are tired and yet we have not seen
tenth of the medicines in this great drug
store. Notice this dried fungus on the
field. When l kick it cloud of dust
arises. Devils snuff box we used to style
them. After the dust has been removed
dry, spongy substance remains;
this is one of the best applications to stop
the flow of blood. / have seen wonder
full results from its use, and Uncle Eph
will back me up, though he has little
faith in doctors. Negroes go always
from one extreme to another; they either
place exalted faith in a doctor or they
distrust him entirely. An old negro had
been ailing for some time on the farm
and the native remedies failed to effect a
cure. Finally father sent the village
doctor to see him. After diagnosis of
the case the physician declared his stom-
ach to be in a very delicate condition,
and put him at once on a close diet of
bread and water. Uncle Billy, for so he
was called, did not relish this much, but
as the doctor assured him that fat meat
of any sort would have fatal result, he
acquiesced.
Now Uncle Billy lived with his married
daughter, and while the old man was
with a wry face eating dry bread, his
son-in-law was fortunate enough to
catch fine 'possum. After fattening
the animal for a few days, he was
slaughtered and a toothsome dinner of
'possum and hominy was prepared. The
tempting odor of this dish tickled the
nostrils of Uncle Billy as he lay digest
ing his unsatisfactory meal. The longer
Uncle Billy shifted the odor the more he
longed for piece of 'possum. He knew
according to the doctor his life would
pay the penalty of such indulgence, but
roast 'possum smells sweet, and Uncle
Billy rolled about on his bed prey to
temptation. Finally he resolved just to
look at the savory mess as it smoked on
the table, so he arose and on tip-toe ap-
hn Ir,fA ofo1r Co.
Uncle Billy, just as hefeasted his eyes on
call her husband. Uncle Billy fell; he
slipped in, seized a piece of 'possum and
beat quick retreat to his bed, where he
proceeded to devour his prize. His
daughter returned, and, seeing the mu-
tilated condition of the 'possum, rushed
into Uncle Billy's room. "What you
tink, daddy" she cried, "some nasty,
stinkin' tief OBJ runaway niger done
hab stole part OBJ de 'possum, an
Here she paused, for her eyes rested on
the greasy mouth and guilty expression
of Uncle Billy. With a quick motion
she pulled back the bed-clothes and re-
vealed a piece of fat 'possum in her
fathers hand.
"You want to kill yo'sef, s'pose,"
doctor said.''
"Go way chile" replied her father with
dignity; "'possum meat am nat'ral as
milk to nigger's belly. 1t amt meat
at all" continued Uncle Billy, reflec-
lively; "'possum am 'possum, OATS what
it is" and he took a mighty mouthful.
A few weeks after Uncle Billy was chop
ping wood, testimony of the curative
qualities of 'possum fat and hominy.
JAS. @. PLUMMER.